25 Years & Counting
Sugar Lake Lodge opened in June of 1994. Growing up, I spent my summers living with my grandparents, Alex and Myrle Ruttger, while working for my uncle, Jack Ruttger, at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge. When the opportunity to rebuild Sugar Lake Lodge presented itself, it was Jack who gave me the confidence that Gwynne and I could succeed. Starting a business (and keeping it going) is not an easy feat—there have been many ups and downs—but here we are, 25 years later and counting. We are still family owned & operated, and we plan to keep it that way for generations to come. – Fred & Gwynne Bobich, Owners

Another Minnesota summer is finally here, and we are eager and ready to make it your best ever. Over the winter months, we focus our efforts on upgrading our food choices, services, facilities, and the property as a whole. Consistently improving the overall quality of our resort is one of our top priorities.

Highlights for the 2019 Summer Season at Sugar Lake Lodge

Those of you with small kids will appreciate our new shuttle service. This eight-passenger cart will be available to get you to and from the beach, pool, marina, and golf course.

Our chef felt that we weren’t doing enough traditional cooking and has added hand-cut french fries, house-smoked meats, and pan-fried walleye to the menu at Otis’s. We will be utilizing local ingredients and homemade seasonings. And, by popular demand, we will be offering gourmet ice cream by the cone or cup.

Our free activities schedule will be back on track starting in June, and for you lake-dwellers, our marina will feature a few new surprise water toys.

You’ll notice in-room updates and improved golf course bunkers with our continued focus on the connection to our natural surroundings.

We have an incredible group of young adults ready to make this summer one of the best ones yet. We can’t wait to welcome you back, away from the business of everyday life, at your second home with your Sugar Lake family!

]]>The Power of Campfires: the Original Social Networkhttps://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/power-of-campfires/
Mon, 06 May 2019 18:24:49 +0000https://sugarlakelodge.com/?p=467An Ode to Campfires When was the last time you burnt a marshmallow ? Laughed until your ribs hurt after someone fell off of their chair (backwards)? Listened to the loons calling behind crackling, burning logs? As Minnesotans, we love our time outside more than we love to be passive aggressive. Nothing is more indicative of […]

When was the last time you burnt a marshmallow ? Laughed until your ribs hurt after someone fell off of their chair (backwards)? Listened to the loons calling behind crackling, burning logs? As Minnesotans, we love our time outside more than we love to be passive aggressive. Nothing is more indicative of that sweet summer weather starting than the first campfire of the season.

Campfires are the true, original social network. Anthropologist Polly Wiessner found that the simple act of gathering around a campfire cultivates bonding and relationship building with the mere ability to gather and share stories. Wiessner spent half a year conducting research with the wild Bushmen of Botswana and discovered that when night fell and the fire roared, conversations transitioned from work and worry to socializing and singing. Wiessner wrote:

“Day talk centered on practicalities and sanctioning gossip; fire-lit activities centered on conversations that evoked the imagination, helped people remember and understand others in their external networks, healed rifts of the day, and conveyed information about cultural institutions that generate regularity of behavior and corresponding trust. Appetites for fire-lit settings for intimate conversations and for evening stories remain with us today.”

How great that something as simple as a campfire can bring us together? We spend so much of our lives these days running around like robotic chickens with our heads cut off. We rarely put our little handheld computer-phones down and before we know it, the day is gone and we are more stressed out than before. The importance of quality time together in nature does not go unnoticed up here, and we rely on those evening campfires to aid in cultivating offline interaction.

So what makes our campfires so special? Sure, you can make a campfire (almost) anywhere, but we challenge you to find a more enticing scenario than ours. The crystal clear waters of Sugar Lake have long been rumored to have healing properties (as told by the Ojibwe) and the wind that sweeps the lake circulates a pine and spruce aroma unlike anywhere else. As the night falls and stars light up the clear (pollution-free) sky, our lakeside campfires take shape with possibly the best ingredient of all: Casey, our resident banjo player.

Casey has been with us from the beginning. Families have been coming to Sugar Lake Lodge every year since our opening 25 years ago and often their first request is the exact time of Casey’s arrival. We could tell you every detail about him – from his humble lumberjack beginnings to his wry wit and fascination with riddles – but that is what the elusive Sugar Lake Campfire is for. We believe in the power of stories, and Casey is one of our most prized narratives.

So, as summer begins, we challenge you to take inventory of the daily conversations you’re partaking in and ask yourself, “Do I need some time around the campfire?”

]]>Ten Things We’re Grateful for This Yearhttps://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/ten-things-were-grateful-for-this-year/
Mon, 19 Nov 2018 16:08:39 +0000https://sugarlakelodge.com/?p=394Thanksgiving is here, and we have been sauntering the resort grounds—of which are very empty and desolate this time of year—reminiscing about the incredible year we had up here at Sugar Lake. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that connecting with such awesome people is our job. Granted, there are some challenges, and we get flustered […]

]]>Thanksgiving is here, and we have been sauntering the resort grounds—of which are very empty and desolate this time of year—reminiscing about the incredible year we had up here at Sugar Lake. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that connecting with such awesome people is our job. Granted, there are some challenges, and we get flustered just like anyone else, but at the end of the day, we are so very thankful to be able to do what we do.
SO, we wrote a list of 10 things we’re most grateful for this year!

1. That Sweet, Sweet, Northern Minnesota Summer Weather

The weather this summer was a real gem. Do you know how we know this without being meteorologists? Because as we look back on our social posts, 90% of them are focused around how much we loved the sunshine, the late-night paddle boarding on a calm lake, and the welcomed breeze when we simply couldn’t handle anything above 78.9 degrees because we are VERY Minnesotan. Even the weather this fall has been a dream. We are so lucky to live in this Northwoods environment—wouldn’t trade it for the world, even in the dead of winter.

2. People Saying, “I Do” With Us

Honestly, picking a wedding venue and planning a party full of people you (generally) like the most in your life is a really big deal. We don’t take this kind of decision lightly, as we totally understand and have been in that very situation ourselves (some longer ago than others…coughcough Gwynne and Fred coughcough). We love love and we love to see your love (this is the worst sentence ever written, but you get the point!) Congratulations to all of you newlyweds, we are so honored to have been a part of your special day. Time to plan a Sugar Lake anniversary party! It’s a thing, trust me.

3. Groups Experiencing the Leadership Center

The Leadership Center at Sugar Lake Lodge has been a work in progress for a few years now, and we are SO proud to be where we’re at today with our incredible team of facilitators and events. We’ve hosted everything from large corporate leadership retreats, to small experiential workshops, to participants changing their lives, and others through the L3 program spearheaded by our partners at the Prouty Project and Chef Marshall O’Brien. We saw people challenge themselves on the ropes course and welcomed a new facilitator who specializes in leadership through improv (he’s hilarious). We have some big things coming in 2019, and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in store!

4. The Ever-Constant Clarity of Siseebakwet (Sugar) Lake

What would our gratitude list be without calling out our MVP, our pride and joy, our precious, more-beautiful-than-a-brand-new-car, Sugar Lake? DID YOU KNOW that Sugar Lake provides 26 FEET of water clarity? It is literally one of the cleanest, clearest lakes in all of Minnesota. The high concentration of calcium carbonate in the water that offers natural protection from acid rain, has been rumored to provide healing properties (Ojibwe tribes believed there was magic in the water) and produces that beautiful Caribbean/aquamarine color. Honestly, someone called us “the Mediterranean of the Midwest”, and we simply can’t let it go. Little Sugar, located just to the southwest of the main lake, lacks the brilliant color but is FULL of fish! What’s that? You want more SUGAR LAKE facts? Comin’ right up…

This year, we had a large number of golf groups return for their own unique golf tournaments and general weekend debauchery. Between the matching shirts, the hoards of hot dogs, the lake jumpers, and the lost room keys we found about 20 feet off shore, it’s a wonder why everyone doesn’t plan their own golf getaway with their friends?! We love to see returning groups (looking at you, 20+ years in a row, Sannes & Steichin/Guts n Glory groups!), and we can’t wait to plan next year’s rounds (don’t miss out—contact us and let’s get planning).

7. Making People Happy for a Quarter of a Century

Technically, 2019 marks our (official) 25th year of operation! Holy Sh(oo)t! Can you believe it? We’re 25 years old! That means we’re old enough to do things like rent a car, quit our jobs and move to Thailand with our new boyfriends, live out of a van…I don’t know, what else do 25-year-olds do? Open a credit card? Anyway, we’re heading into our quarter-life crisis, so we suggest you prepare yourselves emotionally. Much like 25-year-olds, we’re figuring out our unique qualities (like: poutine, sailing, an above-average handicap, and peanut butter s’mores) and becoming comfortable in our own skin. We went through a few rounds of accommodation updates, and we got a LOT of good feedback, enough to keep ‘em coming! Like a fine, young professional… we’re learning to walk away from the water cooler and take on some unique opportunities. Are you sick of the 25-year-old metaphors yet? Well saddle up, because it’s not even December…

8. Our Fabtastic (you read that right) Employees

FABTASTIC = fabulous + fantastic and that hardly begins to even describe our incredible Sugar Lake family. From our friendly front desk staff, to our hardworking housekeepers, we are ever grateful for a staff that understands our why; providing a true north experience unlike any other. A lot of our staff is seasonal, as they work from Memorial Day to Labor Day and leave us for the winter like a long-distance relationship, which we are clearly quick to be dramatic about. A great example of our employee depth: Heidi, our fearless chef extraordinaire, has been with us for 20 YEARS this summer! She makes the world’s best eggs and the most beautiful yogurt parfaits. How did we get so lucky?

9. New Ways to Enjoy Sugar Lake

This year, we took a gamble and made all of our activities more specialized and catered toward something we hold very dear: quality family time together. We sought out the best people to run our activities and boy, did they deliver. Sue Wolfe taught us how to not suck at pickleball, Doug Lien helped fix our slice, the adorable group of boat boys & girls made our guests cry-laugh on the tube, Casey played the banjo by the fire, and the one-and-only John Latimer taught us about trees and flowers and everything in between. We also got our Namaste on with lakeside yoga and the wonderful ladies of Center Yoga lead the way. Among so many others—these activities proved to be a real game changer this summer.

A special shout out to the athletes, volunteers, and race directors for the Timberman Triathlon—easily one of our favorite weekends of the year. Someone teach us how to swim, it’s very scary.

10. Guests Who Make Our Work Worthwhile

Last but CERTAINLY not least, our guests are the best. It’s a fact. We would love to relentlessly sing their praises (which we do ALL THE TIME, AND WE WILL SHOUT ABOUT IT OVER AND OVER AND OV…) We will leave you with this: You, our beloved guest, are the lifeblood of our business, and we couldn’t do it without you. Thanking for choosing quality over quantity, personal over impersonal, and family-run over corporate-fueled. We know you could go ANYWHERE you like in the precious summer months, and we couldn’t be more grateful that you continue to choose us. Thanks for being a part of our Sugar Lake family.
#sugarlakelodge

]]>Time Alone Up North – Stepping Out of My Comfort Zonehttps://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/time-alone-up-stepping-out-of-my-comfort-zone/
Tue, 28 Aug 2018 13:50:09 +0000https://sugarlakelodge.com/?p=47I’m so excited to say that I’m writing my first book. But I keep getting distracted! So, I decided to be brave and take a fellow author’s advice to get away from it all and go somewhere to write. I love the comforts of home. And I love hanging out with my husband 24/7. So, […]

]]>I’m so excited to say that I’m writing my first book. But I keep getting distracted! So, I decided to be brave and take a fellow author’s advice to get away from it all and go somewhere to write. I love the comforts of home. And I love hanging out with my husband 24/7. So, I knew this would be a big stretch for me! It would have to be a place where I felt completely comfortable and safe. There was no question in my mind—it had to be Sugar Lake Lodge.

A couple years in a row, I led women’s retreats there with a colleague. I’ll never forget how everyone at our retreats felt uplifted, supported, nurtured, and renewed… not only because of the peaceful and beautiful environment, but also because of the warm hospitality they experienced.

So, I made the leap and drove up north. The moment I arrived at Sugar Lake, I felt like I was “home.” The staff welcomed me like family, which was a big deal to me because I don’t often travel alone, and I know my husband appreciated hearing that, too.

I had planned to stay three nights, but after the first night, I immediately added a fourth!

During my stay, I did get some great work done in my cabin while simultaneously enjoying a beautiful view of the lake. But more importantly—I ended up experiencing so many moments that took my breath away.

I had peaceful solo meals on my cabin deck. I reveled in quiet moments while sitting in an Adirondack chair on the dock. I hosted my own personal happy hour on my deck each day. I marveled at the stars before bedtime (wow!). I stared at the lake. I enjoyed a couple meals on the patio at Otis’s Grill & Bar. I relaxed on the comfy couches in the lodge lobby.

I literally relished in every moment up at Sugar Lake. As a life coach, I encourage my clients to spend time alone and get quiet. Because life is full of ‘noise’ and when you can remove that noise and the distractions… aha moments show up, clarity abounds, and your soul is simply happier. Self-care is the #1 topic that comes up in my coaching with women. It reminds me of what a flight attendant routinely says before take-off: In the event of cabin pressure loss, secure your own oxygen mask first before assisting others. What a brilliant metaphor for all of us. When we take care of ourselves first, we can only be of better service to others. In a similar vein, I left Sugar Lake Lodge feeling completely taken care of and filled up… ready to get back out there and shine my light and embrace my spirit of giving.

The most memorable moment of my week was one evening when no one else was on the lake. I grabbed a kayak and paddled way out into the middle of the lake and then stopped and just floated. I felt like I was in a soundproof chamber—there were NO sounds other than my own breath! The water around me was like smooth glass. Then, three loons appeared and came within a few feet of my red kayak and hung out with me for several minutes. I didn’t move! I don’t even know if I blinked while I watched them float next to me. I was in complete awe. What a cool communal encounter with these vivid black & white, sleek beauties. After they went on their way, I hung out in that spot another hour just taking everything in, so grateful for the gift of that moment. Nature is the perfect reminder of life’s awesomeness, and it made me think of this powerful quote by Abraham Joshua Heschel:

“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”

Sugar Lake Lodge was the perfect backdrop for extreme self-care and immersing myself in pure amazement. I won’t ever forget my special time there and will surely be back again soon.

Michelle Stimpson is a life coach, lover of life, and front-row concert enthusiast. As the CEO of her company, LifeShine®, she recently celebrated 15 years in business helping women live with more purpose and joy.

]]>L-M What Nowhttps://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/l-m-what-now/
Fri, 06 Jul 2018 15:59:14 +0000https://sugarlakelodge.com/?p=393If you asked any of us at Sugar Lake Lodge what our favorite part about working here is, 9 out of 10 would say the daily interaction with guests. Number 10 would likely say the lake, because, I mean, look at it. It’s stunning. But for the majority, connecting with new people is arguably one […]

]]>If you asked any of us at Sugar Lake Lodge what our favorite part about working here is, 9 out of 10 would say the daily interaction with guests. Number 10 would likely say the lake, because, I mean, look at it. It’s stunning. But for the majority, connecting with new people is arguably one of the best parts of the hospitality business.

Year after year, we continue to forge friendships with people from all over the state of Minnesota and throughout the country. In my humble, clearly-biased opinion, our guests are the best of the best. You entrusted us with your (potential) happiness—how could we not laud your brilliance?!

This past weekend, a regular guest who has been coming here for over 10 years asked me about the popularity of LMV’s. More specifically, he asked, “I saw an email about a deal of some kind…LM-what-now?”

The Minnesotan accent was strong with this one.

While explaining that during the summer months, we offer up some last-minute deals for people who are flexible in their schedule, I realized the true gravity of this offer.

Let’s say you’re having a real tough week at work—emails on emails, meetings that should’ve been emails, hours of conference calls—and it’s only Wednesday. You’ve got some PTO to burn, and you can feel your blood pressure steadily rising with each mounting minuscule task. Your email *dings* and up pops an email from that beautiful resort up north you’ve been meaning to get to, but just haven’t been able to plan properly, touting 40% off room rate deals for this weekend. The temptation sets in, and suddenly you’re daydreaming about that crystal-clear Sugar Lake water instead of reading yet another office memo.

This is where LMV’s (last minute vacancies) shine like a beacon of impromptu getaway hope. LMV’s reward you for booking, as it states, last minute. We like to call it “snap-booking.” You actually get an amazing deal for waiting to book until the day before or even the day of.

Northern Minnesota is best experienced one of three ways: every year at the same time, every other weekend, or last minute. Of course, we would say all year long, but that’s just us.

Essentially, LMV’s are about making time for YOU when YOU feel you need it, and our goal is to get more of the people we love to interact with up here to experience the oasis that is our resort. Life is just too short not to take advantage of vacation time, something America struggles with on a yearly basis. Don’t be a vacationer statistic! Take advantage of planning ahead or not at all; either way, we won’t judge you. Quite the contrary.

Intrigued? Check out this week’s LMVs here, and if those don’t work for you, sign up to be one of the first to hear about the newest LMV deals (sent every Friday morning before being released to the public. #VIPstatus) For more information, email us or call us at 218-327-1462.

]]>The Only OOO You’ll Ever Needhttps://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/the-only-ooo-youll-ever-need/
Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:53:44 +0000https://sugarlakelodge.com/?p=391If you Google “out of office” responses, you will find a treasure trove of professionally-crafted articles and suggestions for the appropriate automatic email replies for when you’re busy living life outside the office walls. “Start with a cheerful greeting!” “Don’t over communicate—get to the point!” “Include only pertinent details.” “Give senders the name of someone […]

]]>If you Google “out of office” responses, you will find a treasure trove of professionally-crafted articles and suggestions for the appropriate automatic email replies for when you’re busy living life outside the office walls.

“Start with a cheerful greeting!”

“Don’t over communicate—get to the point!”

“Include only pertinent details.”

“Give senders the name of someone to contact in your absence.”

Yada, yada, yada.

I once got an OOO (how the cool kids say out of office) from someone that simply said, “I’m currently on a boat. BRB.”
Albeit not the most professional, my respect for this person went through the roof. You deserve to enjoy that time on the boat, good for you! So that got all of us at the Sugar Lake Lodge office thinking—what would be the perfect OOO for your highly anticipated summer vacation? Well, we went ahead and wrote it for you.

The Only OOO You’ll Ever Need:

“Thank you for your email! I’m currently sitting in an Adirondack chair on the shores of sparkling Sugar Lake, lemonade in one hand and a real paperback book in the other. You know, that new series by (insert favorite author here) that we have all been meaning to read but just couldn’t find the time between meetings and hockey games and birthday parties at a trampoline park? Yeah, that one. So far, it’s amazing; I can’t believe (that guy) did (that thing) and then (this happened)! I don’t have email notifications on my phone, so I won’t get this until I’ve completed my weekend of relaxation and rejuvenation. I won’t be checking messages or notifications or tweets either, and I would rather not use my phone other than to take some stunningly beautiful sunset pictures, of which I will Instagram at a later time and subsequently include the following hashtags: #takemeback #vaca #SugarLakeDreaming #tbt. If you need me right away, get in your car and drive three hours north. Bring snacks.”

We didn’t follow any of the “rules” we found on Google, but we’re pretty sure this covers all of the bases. If the above OOO doesn’t suit your needs, just go for the next best thing… simply reply with this:

Ready to go? Check out our start-of-summer specials or peruse our golf packages. Either way, we’re ready for you. Set that OOO, and we’ll see you on the lake!

]]>To Do List – Plan An Epic Family Reunionhttps://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/to-do-list-plan-an-epic-family-reunion/
https://sugarlakelodge.com/blog/to-do-list-plan-an-epic-family-reunion/#commentsTue, 30 Jan 2018 14:07:07 +0000http://wpengine.com1/?p=1Let’s Get Together Is this the year? Are you finally going to stop talking about getting together as a family and just do it already? Are you tired of saying things like, “I’ve been meaning to call you!” and “I can’t believe I haven’t met Chris’s son’s son yet, and he’s graduating from Harvard this […]

Is this the year? Are you finally going to stop talking about getting together as a family and just do it already? Are you tired of saying things like, “I’ve been meaning to call you!” and “I can’t believe I haven’t met Chris’s son’s son yet, and he’s graduating from Harvard this spring!”? We get it. Time flies. Also, planning a family reunion can be daunting. Fear not! We are experts in planning a reunion that will please every single family member.

1. Pick a Sweet Location

Full disclosure… our location suggestion is a bit biased. It’s a quaint, welcoming, family-owned resort in Northern Minnesota, just south of beautiful Grand Rapids on the shimmering shores of the incomparable Sugar Lake. It’s… it’s us, we’re the resort. We’ve been to family reunions of all kinds, from backyard BBQs to a few hours in the local community center all-purpose room. Reunions are especially fun because you have the unique ability to make it whatever you want it to be, which is why we suggest checking out Sugar Lake Lodge to shake up your next family get together. Think: endless activities (sailing, tubing, volleyball, golf, and so much more), chef-crafted meals prepared to your desire (sit down dinner on the deck at sunset?), specially-planned bonding nights (Family Feud, anyone?), and your own block of resort accommodations with a community bonfire pit. All of this and more is available at Sugar Lake Lodge, and we’re just getting started!

2. Pick a Date

Finding available time in everyone’s schedule is about as easy as folding a fitted sheet. Lucky for you, our reservations and groups specialists are serious masters of their craft in helping you find dates that work specific to your needs. You will always work one-on-one with our planning team throughout the whole process—from start to finish. We would never pawn you off on multiple people, thousands of email chains, or enough voicemails to make you cry. That’s not our style. We’ll help you narrow down date options with the best accommodation possibilities to fit everyone. Easy peasy.

3. Find Matching T-shirts

This is not mandatory but very highly suggested.

4. Sit Back, Relax, and Look Forward to an Unforgettable Few Days

I mean, there were a few steps skipped here… like making sure not to forget to invite everyone, but we trust you to take care of that. Everything else is for us—the way it should be. We are proud to have had some families come to Sugar Lake for every family reunion since our opening in 1993! Some host golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, family 5ks, and scavenger hunts. Others grab their swimsuits and spend the day on the lake. There’s no right or wrong way to do a family reunion, so rest assured that planning one with us doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. Are you ready to plan? Contact us to discuss any and all options, and we’ll see you and the fam this summer!